Research Question: How effective has "Race to the Top" been in the United States? Author: Kathryn Lyons
McGuinn, P. (2012). Stimulating Reform: Race to the Top, Competitive Grants and the Obama Education Agenda.Educational Policy, 26(1), 136-159.
This article defines Obama's competitive "Race To The Top" grant program for revolutionizing the federal role in education and transforming state school reform efforts. "Race To The Top is about creating political cover for state education reformers to innovate and helping states construct the administrative capacity to implement these innovations effectively," (McGuin, 1).
The task of RTTT is driving systematic change in a fragmented and decentralized education system, the newness of and political opposition to federal efforts (like No Child Left Behind) and the weakness of state and federal administrative capacity in education. RTTT has four administrative priorities: developing common standards and assessments, improving teacher training, creating better data systems and adopting preferred school-turnaround strategies. My opinion on this is that it is a great idea to turn around the failure of No Child Left Behind, however, I think it's a little over-optimistic to just give away grants to schools who think they can perform at a certain level. It may be a motivational tool to use bribery, but it cannot work for schools that simply lack the resource to perform academically.
Davis, Julia L. "Contracts, Control And Charter Schools: The Success Of Charter Schools Depends On Stronger Nonprofit Board Oversight To Preserve Independence And Prevent Domination By For-Profit Management Companies." Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal 2011.1 (2011): 1-28. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
"A recent New York Times article profiled energy executive Dennis Bakke and his wife Eileen, who, after retiring from his business, decided to enter the world of commercial charter schools "to experiment with applying business strategies and discipline to public schools," (Davis, 1). The couple's organization, Imagine Schools are now the largest for-profit manager of charter schools in the country. Many charter schools have given it bad reviews for being too controlling when it come to all the school decision making, hiring and firing staff members, controlling and profiting from from school real estate, and gaining profit from the fees in their contracts. I thought that it was really amazing how this one couple could make a business out of charter schools but I do not think education is a deal that can be made. It is a little naive to say that kids will perform better in school if they are offered a great deal of money.
Johnson, Michelle A., and Mattyna L. Stephens. "Race To The Top And The Exclusion Of Welfare Recipients From Educational Policy Discourse." Adult Learning 23.4 (2012): 188-195. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
In 2009, President Obama wanted to overhaul the existing educational reform program (No Child Left Behind) and launched RTTT comprised of six priorities designed to help states reform their educational systems. According to this article welfare recipients are in dire need of education and training. This article expresses the tension between the purpose of RTTT and Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Six priorities included: (1) comprehensive approach to education the four core education reform areas, (2) emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, (3) innovations for improving early learning outcomes, (4) expansion and adaptation of statewide longitudinal data systems, (5) P-20 coordination, vertical and horizontal alignment (6) school level conditions for reform, innovation and learning. I definitely agree that something needed to be done in order for kids to get the right skills they need to enter the workforce. It starts at the important subjects like Sciences and Mathematics which was a good call by Obama.
"Beyond The Rhetoric: Education Policy In An Election Year." Human Ecology 40.1 (2012): 19. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
This article states there is no evidence that shows Race to the Top's effectiveness in students across the country. Promoting charter schools is one policy that does seem to work, either because charter schools typically receive more funding than public schools or because principals have more autonomy to choose their teaching staff. I agree with the statement the article makes, "I would like to see our policymakers focus more trying to get the students who go to college to finish rather than try to induce more students to go." Obama increased subsidized Stafford Loans to help lure students to go to college but there needs to be more focus on getting kids the skills they need in college and graduating without being in so much debt.
Overall Reaction to Your Research My research taught me that Race to the Top (RTTT) has some good motivational ideas to get students to work harder, but it definitely needs some tweaking and that college kids are certainly not benefiting from this plan. It is a little overoptimistic to give away grants to schools who perform the best because then they will just keep getting better and better while other schools lag behind, but at least all the schools get a fair chance to apply for the grant.
Relevance in Rhode Island Schools
Database:
Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson)
AUTHOR:
Toch, Thomas
TITLE:
Focus on the Prize of Higher Standards and More Graduates
SOURCE:
Phi Delta Kappan 92 no1 70-1 S 2010
COPYRIGHT:
The magazine publisher is the copyright holder of this article and it is reproduced with permission. Further reproduction of this article in violation of the copyright is prohibited.
One article states how Obama's Race To The Top policy in raising the bar in academic success in especially urban areas is going to make it difficult for students to even graduate high school. If you look at the two tables to the right, you can see on a scale of 63%-97% high school graduation rate is for each town in Rhode Island listed below and also the total for Rhode Island graduation rate which is 77%. This means Obama's Race to the Top policy does have a good chance of effecting Rhode Island students who do not work as hard or are in urban areas with lack of resources negatively in an punishable manner. It will allow for the schools who do have money, like maybe Barrington for example if you were to base it on the perfect graduation rate percentage listed below, to get grants and more resources and urban areas to keep getting knocked down of opportunity for a high education. The article also states, "Researchers also point to another key to starving off higher dropout rates: creating a culture in which teachers and students believe in the importance of high standards and share a commitment to reaching them," (Toch, 2).
Relevance to Charter Schools
Race to the Top has benefited Charter Shools and actually persuaded me that Charter Schools may be a good route to take these days since they are receiving more funding and have more resources than public schools would have access to. When you have the resources there you are more likely to perform better and some Charter Schools have a good environment for it. However, I think it is a little too optimistic and will leave a lot of schools that are poor behind because they simply don't have the resources or the environment to focus in. I do see how Obama was trying to reform and recover from the No Child Left Behind Act but it is only going to improve the richer schools over the poor.
Author: Kathryn Lyons
McGuinn, P. (2012). Stimulating Reform: Race to the Top, Competitive Grants and the Obama Education Agenda.Educational Policy, 26(1), 136-159.
This article defines Obama's competitive "Race To The Top" grant program for revolutionizing the federal role in education and transforming state school reform efforts. "Race To The Top is about creating political cover for state education reformers to innovate and helping states construct the administrative capacity to implement these innovations effectively," (McGuin, 1).
The task of RTTT is driving systematic change in a fragmented and decentralized education system, the newness of and political opposition to federal efforts (like No Child Left Behind) and the weakness of state and federal administrative capacity in education. RTTT has four administrative priorities: developing common standards and assessments, improving teacher training, creating better data systems and adopting preferred school-turnaround strategies. My opinion on this is that it is a great idea to turn around the failure of No Child Left Behind, however, I think it's a little over-optimistic to just give away grants to schools who think they can perform at a certain level. It may be a motivational tool to use bribery, but it cannot work for schools that simply lack the resource to perform academically.
Davis, Julia L. "Contracts, Control And Charter Schools: The Success Of Charter Schools Depends On Stronger Nonprofit Board Oversight To Preserve Independence And Prevent Domination By For-Profit Management Companies." Brigham Young University Education & Law Journal 2011.1 (2011): 1-28. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
"A recent New York Times article profiled energy executive Dennis Bakke and his wife Eileen, who, after retiring from his business, decided to enter the world of commercial charter schools "to experiment with applying business strategies and discipline to public schools," (Davis, 1). The couple's organization, Imagine Schools are now the largest for-profit manager of charter schools in the country. Many charter schools have given it bad reviews for being too controlling when it come to all the school decision making, hiring and firing staff members, controlling and profiting from from school real estate, and gaining profit from the fees in their contracts. I thought that it was really amazing how this one couple could make a business out of charter schools but I do not think education is a deal that can be made. It is a little naive to say that kids will perform better in school if they are offered a great deal of money.
Johnson, Michelle A., and Mattyna L. Stephens. "Race To The Top And The Exclusion Of Welfare Recipients From Educational Policy Discourse." Adult Learning 23.4 (2012): 188-195. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
In 2009, President Obama wanted to overhaul the existing educational reform program (No Child Left Behind) and launched RTTT comprised of six priorities designed to help states reform their educational systems. According to this article welfare recipients are in dire need of education and training. This article expresses the tension between the purpose of RTTT and Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Six priorities included: (1) comprehensive approach to education the four core education reform areas, (2) emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, (3) innovations for improving early learning outcomes, (4) expansion and adaptation of statewide longitudinal data systems, (5) P-20 coordination, vertical and horizontal alignment (6) school level conditions for reform, innovation and learning. I definitely agree that something needed to be done in order for kids to get the right skills they need to enter the workforce. It starts at the important subjects like Sciences and Mathematics which was a good call by Obama.
"Beyond The Rhetoric: Education Policy In An Election Year." Human Ecology 40.1 (2012): 19. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
This article states there is no evidence that shows Race to the Top's effectiveness in students across the country. Promoting charter schools is one policy that does seem to work, either because charter schools typically receive more funding than public schools or because principals have more autonomy to choose their teaching staff. I agree with the statement the article makes, "I would like to see our policymakers focus more trying to get the students who go to college to finish rather than try to induce more students to go." Obama increased subsidized Stafford Loans to help lure students to go to college but there needs to be more focus on getting kids the skills they need in college and graduating without being in so much debt.
Overall Reaction to Your Research
My research taught me that Race to the Top (RTTT) has some good motivational ideas to get students to work harder, but it definitely needs some tweaking and that college kids are certainly not benefiting from this plan. It is a little overoptimistic to give away grants to schools who perform the best because then they will just keep getting better and better while other schools lag behind, but at least all the schools get a fair chance to apply for the grant.
Relevance in Rhode Island Schools
Relevance to Charter Schools
Race to the Top has benefited Charter Shools and actually persuaded me that Charter Schools may be a good route to take these days since they are receiving more funding and have more resources than public schools would have access to. When you have the resources there you are more likely to perform better and some Charter Schools have a good environment for it. However, I think it is a little too optimistic and will leave a lot of schools that are poor behind because they simply don't have the resources or the environment to focus in. I do see how Obama was trying to reform and recover from the No Child Left Behind Act but it is only going to improve the richer schools over the poor.